what rifle for LRH

Hello Everyone this is my first post on this website and I would like to get the opinion of some of you experts. I am in the market for a new rifle, That will work well for long range hunting for deer to elk. For now I am leaning toward a Remington SPS which has a 26" barrel instead of a 24". In 300 win mag (I think the 300 RUM would kick too much in this light of a rifle). The first thing I am planning to do with this rifle is send it out to get accurized, and have a sako extractor and a tactical bolt handle put on. Then I think I will put Badger Ordnance, rings and base on it, and put my leupold Mark4 Pr 4.5-14x in them. Then I will work up some loads using Lapua brass and some 180 gr. Accubonds or Triple shocks maybe even moly coat the bullets to get extra velocity. anyway that is the plan for now please tell me what you think. Thank you for your responses.

If you are going to send the gun out anyway, why not keep your options open on the RUM and consider a brake. Go to this link to see what Weatherby claims a good brake will do.

http://www.weatherby.com/products/pe.../accubrake.asp
I really like this format because I shoot the 7mmWby w/ no brake and can relate the bigger calibers back to a recoil that I find comfortable. Can you believe a 338-378Wby recoil less than a 7mm mag and comparable to the 300 Win?

Then go up the forum and look at the 270 Allen barrel, it is a different style but same general effect. Some where in the last few days there are some threads on brakes.

I would consider a muzzle brake but I would like to find one that I can turn off while I am hunting and not wearing any ear protection. Does anybody know of a muzzle brake like this. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

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The first thing I am planning to do with this rifle is send it out to get accurized, and have a sako extractor and a tactical bolt handle put on.

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The tube is the most important - I would get a new barrel and trigger job first.
All my 50 BMG's have brakes that screw off. I'm no smith but I'm sure it can be done on a WinMag. I don't take mine off to hunt, I just use Peltor tactical ear muffs that only suppress loud sounds. On the range I use both ear plugs and muffs, hunting just the muffs.

I think the WinMag barrel will last longer - if that's a factor. I can shoot my 300 RUM all day off hand with no brake. Prone would be painful. Get what you want, caliber is religion (but I'm a waffler like Kerry, I like both the winMag and RUM [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] I even own a Remington 300 RUM and a Savage 300 RUM.

Here is a brake that is on off. Don't know any thing about it other than when I was researching brakes I bookmarked it. The advantage is you do not have to unscrew and remove it and then put it back on. Therefore it should not be shooting loose.

You might consider Big Bores advice and think about a Plan B
Get a quote on what you want from a gunsmith if you supply the action.

Visit every pawn shop within 50 -100 miles looking for a great deal on a really beat up looking Rem 700 or a Savage ??? that appears too have a good action. Buy it for the action and throw the rest away. Send that off to a gunsmith. I don't know if it would really save much money. But it will certainly kill some time visiting all of the pawn shops.

If you are getting a barrel then you can pretty much choose any caliber that fits your action.

The 30-378 will burn a dump truck load of powder. You don't even have to put bullets in it because the muzzle blast alone will kill every thing within several miles.

Depending on your definition of long range and your opinion on terminal energy the 7mm Rem Wby RUM or STW are capable to 1000 yds or more. The 270Wby, 264 Win about 800yds. These can be stretched further with high BC bullets.

It is easy to load a gun down 200-300 fps and in doing so you may find really good accuracy. It is much more diffficult to load a gun up to max velocity and above and achieve really good accuracy simultaneously. Working at and above max searching for a few more fps is hard on the gun and may be hard on the shooter. You can load the RUM down to the Win but you cannot load the Win up to the RUM. A down loaded RUM will be working a lower pressures than the Win and this is good.